Below are guidelines for Institute Directors. Suzuki Institutes are multi-day gatherings in June, July, and August for teachers, students, and parents to learn joyfully, make music, and build community. Institute programs center the Suzuki Method® repertoire and learning for young musicians, in addition to teacher development courses for new and experienced Suzuki teachers. Institutes take place throughout the US and Canada, and throughout Latin America, Festivals offer similar gatherings!

Ready to submit an event? Submit an event at the page below!

Submit an Event Sponsor Landing Page

Need support submitting your event? Watch this overview video, this event submission video, this sponsor page video, or write to us at info@suzukiassociation.org! You can also view Course Registration Processes & SAA Fee Information.

Sections for the SAA’s Institute Guidelines:


I. Application Procedure & Deadlines (click the section title to jump to the section)
II. Established Institutes 
III. Institute Approval and Conflict Issues 
IV. Student Schedules and Offerings 
V. Teacher Schedules and Offerings 
VI. Benefits and Services for Approved Institutes 
VII. Limitations for Non‐Approved Institutes 
VIII. Additional Policies 
IX. Conflict Resolution Guidelines

I. Application Procedure and Deadlines (please also see the Institute Submission Timeline for further details)

November 1

The application fee for all institutes – New or Established – is due. The fee is $120 US/CAN*. The fee is 50% refundable if the Institute is not approved. Email ads are available for an additional cost of $40 – please pay for them with your application fee. Please submit ads by December 1 (June Institutes), February 1 (July Institutes), or March 1 (August Institutes).

Established Institutes are approved by October 15th. 

October 15 – February 1 Institutes should submit course offerings, student programming, schedules, program fees, housing, etc. As soon as courses are approved, details will appear on the SAA website.

November 15

New Institutes will be approved no later than November 15th. While we aim to approve institutes on a rolling basis, this is the final deadline for approval. Depending on the location of new Institutes and their proximity to established Institutes, there may need to be a discussion of potential conflicts with any nearby Established Institutes. Please expect to be flexible and in communication with any nearby Institutes if needed.

December 1

Email ads for June Institutes are available for $40, which can be paid via the SAA website. Please write to marketing@suzukiassociation.org for more information!

Institute courses and event listings will begin to be published on the SAA website beginning January 15th, as they are approved. Changes will be made as necessary. 

October 15 – February 1

Institutes should submit course offerings, student programming, schedules, program fees, housing, etc. As soon as courses are approved, details will appear on the SAA website.

February 1

Course offerings are finalized by this date. Institutes will be referenced in the American Suzuki Journal, so we ask that you finalize your course offerings for participants who view your Institute via the ASJ. 

Email ads for June Institutes are available for $40, which can be paid via the SAA website. Please write to marketing@suzukiassociation.org for more information!

March 1

April 1

Email ads for June Institutes are available for $40, which can be paid via the SAA website. Please write to marketing@suzukiassociation.org for more information!

Please have faculty determined for workshop course offerings. If changes are required, please contact us at institutes@suzukiassociation.org. 

8-10 weeks prior to institute start date

It is highly recommended that changes to course offerings, cancellations, dates, venues, etc., be made no later than 8-10 weeks prior to the published Institute date. Order books, mini-journals, and any other materials necessary for your courses. If changes are necessary, please contact us!

10 days following the institute

Fees, course rosters, and all paperwork must be submitted no later than 10 business days following the Institute. A 5% late fee may be incurred should you miss the deadline for submitting course rosters and fees. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

  • Student participation fee: $3 US/CAN per student
  • ECC Course fee: $30/participant (covers copyrighted content, registration of course, and upkeep of information)
  • SAA Teacher Workshop Participant/Auditor fee: $15 US/CAN per teacher per course
  • You can submit course rosters online (preferable), or via mail. Learn more at this link for online course rosters or at this link for student counts.  

II. Established Institutes

  • Established Institutes are those that have taken place in the summer before the deadlines listed above. 
  • Institutes that comply with the requirements and deadlines will retain priority in their application evaluation and approval process to honor the longevity of the Institute. If an Established Institute begins a rotating schedule of Institutes or takes a year off, it may retain its status by notifying the SAA office of the dates the Institute will be held the following year. 
  • A list of anticipated Institutes will be listed via the SAA website, as they are confirmed. 
  • Institutes may lose their status as an Established Institute under the following circumstances:
    • The Institute chooses to take two or more consecutive years off
    • Failure to pay fees and meet deadlines, or lack of communication from Director(s) regarding timely payment of fees or other major changes to the Institute
    • Change of any two of the following in the same year: locations, dates, hosting organization, or major instrument offerings
    • The SAA will be in communication about any compliance issues as they arise and will provide several warnings before taking away status from an Established Institute. 

III. Institute Approval and Conflict Issues

  • All applications must be submitted with as much detail as possible by December 1. The SAA office will review all applications, and check that guidelines are met and information is complete and accurate. 
  • As information is posted via the SAA website, each Institute Director should look over upcoming Institutes to review any potential conflicts in time, location, or course offerings. Established Institutes generally retain the same approximate pattern for their dates and locations for in-person events, to support avoiding conflicts. If any conflicts or concerns arise, please see item IX below. 

IV. Student Schedules and Offerings (Virtual & In-Person) 

At the core of an institute are lessons (masterclasses), technique classes, and repertoire (group) classes which should be taught by SAA teacher members. Student programs should offer a minimum of 8 hours of core classes across 4 or more days. For students in books 1-3, those 8 hours must be lessons, technique, and repertoire classes. For students in Books 4 and beyond, those 8 hours can also include ensemble or orchestra. Additional hours may include play-ins, Enrichment classes, and performances. See table below.

Minimum Hours across 4+ daysCore ClassesAdditional Hours
Books
1-3		2 hrs of core classes per student per day or a total of 8 hrs overall Lessons, technique, and repertoire classesPlay-ins
Enrichment classes
Performances
Books 4+2 hrs of core classes per student per day or a total of 8 hrs overallLessons, technique, repertoire, ensemble, or orchestra

V. Teacher Schedules and Offerings

Teacher courses must follow guidelines in the Teacher Development Guidelines and the most current Online Training Guidelines. If you have questions, please email us at institutes@suzukiassociation.org. Please keep in mind, that guidelines change from time to time. We will be sure to provide ample notice for any changes.

Thank you for offering Teacher Training at your Institutes! Please communicate the following to participants on your website. Reach out to us with any questions!

  • Training Prerequisites & Course Order: Teachers need to be 18, have a high school diploma, and be Active Members to take training. ECC is required prior to Unit 1, and courses should be taken in order through Unit 3.
  • Audition Requirements: Applicants must pass the audition requirements on the SAA Website. See Guidelines & Requirements. Auditions need to be received at least 14 days before the course starts. Earlier is better because it leaves room for a second try if the first audition does not pass!
  • Course Preparation: Teacher Training participants are asked to prepare repertoire to be studied to the point of fluent performance. Memorization of repertoire is required for Unit 1 and encouraged for all Units. Participants should be conversant in ideas presented in Nurtured by Love. 100% attendance is required.
  • Course Registration: Course registration for students takes place following submission of rosters from Institutes, and full payment. This may take up to 4 weeks.
  • Please get in touch with the SAA! Reach out to the SAA at info@suzukiassociation.org with any questions or concerns!

VI. Benefits and Services for Approved Institutes

  • Priority will be given to Established Institutes, as described in the Conflict Resolution Guidelines
  • Advertisement and promotion opportunities are included
  • All Institute information will be advertised on the SAA website as it is approved and posted. 
  • The 2nd quarter issue of the American Suzuki Journal will include Institute dates
    • Additional advertising opportunities for the ASJ are available at a 10% discount for Institute hosts. 
  • If an Institute needs support in connecting with local SAA members and potential attendees, the SAA can work with Directors to support them. Please reach out to us at info@suzukiassociation.org. 
  • The SAA team would be happy to support any Institute Directors as needed! Reach out to us.
  • Use of the SAA Institute logo is allowed by all approved Institutes
  • Only Institutes & Festivals are able to offer core Teacher Training courses during June, July, and August (with the exception of ECC! after review and by approval of the SAA office). 
  • Online Mini Journals are included for all Institutes, and hard copies of the Mini Journal are available for purchase.

VII. Limitations on non-approved Institutes or Events

  • Any Institutes that are not SAA-approved will not be eligible to advertise in the ASJ winter issue or be listed on the website. 
  • A non-approved Institute will not be allowed to host Teacher Workshops during June, July, or August.

VIII. Additional Policies

  • The SAA staff will create committees as needed to verify all policies and guidelines are being met. 
  • Surveys and questionnaires may be provided by the SAA and should be completed promptly so that information can be used as a guide for the following year.
  • Institute Directors are required to be SAA members and to follow all SAA guidelines. We request timely and open communication between the SAA and Institute Directors. 
  • All faculty teaching Suzuki courses are required to be active members of the SAA. 

IX. Conflict Resolution Guidelines

If any Director perceives a conflict with their Institute, please use the procedure below. We are all contributing to a healthy ecosystem of music education, so please approach each other with the kindness and support that is encouraged by Dr. Suzuki’s method and philosophy.

  1. Communicate directly with the Director of the other Institute to see if the conflict can be resolved. 
  2. If any compromises or resolutions result in changes to schedules, courses, or programs, please make the SAA aware immediately.
  3. If a resolution cannot be reached, each Director should reach out to the SAA via info@suzukiassociation.org. Any conflicts should be reported as soon as possible. 
  4. If necessary, an ad hoc committee will be appointed to support a resolution. Additional materials may be requested from each party, and the SAA will notify the Institutes of the resolution. 
  5. In most situations, Institutes held within a 200-mile radius and within three weeks from the end of one to the beginning of the other will be subject to these considerations:
    1. An Institute with greater longevity which has provided the SAA office with information on dates and location by December 1 will be considered the established Institute. The longevity of an Institute is determined by the length of time an Institute has been in the same geographic place (not necessarily on the same campus). 
    2. Established Institutes have priority over newer Institutes seeking to offer the same curriculum when a dispute arises. 
    3. In the case of competing Institutes without date priority, the Institute application with the earliest application submission may be considered appropriate. 
Additional Resources